Long Distance
by stuckbeingrachel
Summary: Amber and Alfie have decided to give long distance a shot. While in America, Amber's life is perfect, but back at Anubis, Alfie has taken the role of the resident "Relationship Guru". Follow these two through the twists and turns of their relationship, as well as their friends'.
1. I Love You

**After last night's episode, I think we all could use an Amfie! Enjoy!**

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Alfie closed his eyes and shut his bedroom door. He was glad Jerome wasn't in the room. He was off trying to apologize to Mara for the billionth time. Though the tall blonde was his best mate and very wise when Alfie had problems, he wanted to be alone for once. He doesn't break down often, and when he does, it's because of Amber. This time was definitely because of Amber. She left. He knew she had to. She belonged with him and their friends, her second family, but the school wasn't for her. Fashion school would definitely be able to find her true potential, because he saw it.

He sat down on the edge of his bed and gritted his teeth. He felt tears building in his brown eyes but he brushed them away quickly. He wanted to be strong but what she had said to him made him miss her even more, before she had even left the room. If they'd been alone, he would have said it back because he wanted to be special. He was still pondering whether he should text or call when his laptop sounded a fate _ping!_

His heart rate accelerated when the screen name caught his eye. _Pretty_In_Pink_. That was Amber. He turned to the laptop and accepted her call. A second later, Amber Millington appeared on the screen, dressed in purple pajamas, blonde hair pulled back in a low pony over her right shoulder, and no make-up. Alfie was the only person she allowed to see her without make-up, besides the Anubis House girls. Her gray eyes sparked when they landed on him and she smiled, giving a small wave.

"Hey, Ambs," he smiled a bit.

"Hi, boo, how are you?" she bit her lip, waiting for his reply.

"Good, you?"

"Fine, I'm in a hotel room here in America, waiting for daddy to get back from a meeting. My classes for fashion school are tomorrow."

"Are you excited?"

"Hmm hmm," she nodded. "Um, who won the contest?"

"Fabian and Joy."

"Can you tell them congratulations for me?"

"Yeah," Alfie nodded. He took a deep breath and racked his brain for something to talk about. "Uh, yeah, at the moment Jerome and Mara are having problems because of the contest. Jerome ate all of Mara's bars, got sick and he had Willow help make the sauce for the hotdogs, which upset Mara."

"Oh, no, Jara can't break up! Alfie, you will be my successor, you will have to carry on with my brilliant relationship skills. Now, if you ever need any help, please contact me, but Alfie, boo, you need to get those two back together! And make sure they stay together. They make a perfect couple, one of the most perfect couples I've ever seen with my own eyes."

"Got it," Alfie grinned. He loved it when she was being the relationship guru; she was so wise when it came to that subject.

"Also, watch Eddie and KT, I want Patricia and Eddie to get back together, so get to work on that as well, but not until after Jerome and Mara have solved their problems. And then, it comes to the point of Fabian and Joy, I never liked Joy because of all the things that she did to Nina. Watch the two closely and try to decipher if they even remotely belong together or not. Compare the way Fabian reacts to Joy with the way he reacted to Nina; his posture, his facial expressions, his body language, his words— everything."

Alfie nodded again and gave a small, joking salute.

"And then, it comes to Amfie." She sighed.

"Can't we still be together? Long distance relationships work out—"

"Not with Mick and Mara." She cut in with a stern look.

"That's just because they weren't compatible, unlike her and Jerome; they belong together." He told her.

"Aw, Alfie, you're right." she smiled proudly.

"Amber, we belong together. I worked too hard to get you to go out with me, to just let you move to another country and break up with me over video chat. We'll make this work, please, Amber." He clasped his hands together tightly, lacing his fingers together and resting his chin on them.

He stared down at her with his brown eyes. Those of a puppy's; the big brown eyes that made her melt; the ones that could so easily make anyone do anything he said (if they had a heart), but he didn't know that, and she'd never tell him, she didn't want that information to go to his head.

"Okay, we'll give it a go." she smiled.

Alfie opened his mouth to reply when he saw the time on the small clock in the corner of the screen, and he noted that it was almost time for the first Sibuna meeting with Nina gone and Eddie as the leader. He looked down for a second and then back up at her expectant, flawless face. "I have to get up to the attic for the Sibuna meeting."

"Oh, right, well, have fun! Keep me updated on the mystery? I'll help if you guys ever need my brains." She flicked her hand, only to realize that her hair wasn't hair and a blush appeared on her cheeks.

Alfie grinned at her.

"Bye, boo." She waved.

"Wait, Amber," he stopped her from disconnecting their call.

"Yes?"

"I love you, too." he said softly.

"Aw, Alfie," she sighed, a smile growing on her face. She blew him a quick kiss and he "caught it", holding his fist to his chest. "I'll talk to you later?"

He nodded and then her face was gone. He smiled and closed the laptop. He turned his head to his lap and bit his lip.

"Alfie, mate, are you okay?"

Alfie looked up at Jerome as the blonde lay down on his bed, clasping his hands over his stomach.

"She loves me." his friend said softly with a grin.

Jerome arched a dark eyebrow at the dark-skinned boy and a half smile slipped onto his face. "Lucky. You're heart okay?"

"Yeah, she just blew me a kiss." He shrugged, looking down, knowing Jerome would think it was stupid.

"I don't judge, mate. I use Mara's, though I'm not sure I'll be able to do that anymore." The blonde sighed sadly.

A knock on the door caused him to sit up straight.

"Jerome, can I talk to you?"

In a second Jerome was out of the room with Alfie smiling after him. He got up and stuffed his fist in his pocket, leaving the room and heading up to the attic for the Sibuna meeting.

* * *

**I've never written a full blown Amfie one-shot before, and I think it went really well! I almost cried during the goodbye seen! I swear to fudge, Amber whispered "I love you" to Alfie! AW! **

**Review? Vote the poll!**

_**So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. -Galatians 5:16-17**_

**-Rachel**


	2. I Promise You

**Yes, Long Distance is now a multi-chapter! I'm still working on everything else that I have to write so don't expect daily updates or anything. But if you'd like to know when I'm updating things, check out my profile. I have a list of my stories and every day I'll let y'all know what is going with all of them, 'kay?**

* * *

"Hey, mate, how's it going?" Alfie grinned, jogging up to his best mate.

"Fine," Jerome spat, clutching the strap of the bag that was strung across his chest. His blonde hair was brushed forward and his blue eyes were a light blue, icy and cold.

"How'd it go with Mara?" the dark-skinned boy asked with a suggestive eyebrow dance.

"She didn't want to get back together. She just wanted to give me some things that I had given her over the holiday."

"Like what?"

"Nothing." Jerome replied after a moment of silence. He stalked forward and disappeared into the school building, leaving Alfie alone in the yard.

Alfie could tell, if no one else could, that Jerome was in major distress. His break up with Mara was making him question his value. He was going to work hard to try to get her back, but that didn't mean he wasn't wondering if she would be better off with him or someone else. Jerome always thought about Mara's wellbeing and Alfie knew that Jerome thought of him as the wrong choice.

Alfie hopped up the steps and stepped through the double doors. He looked around for his friends and he spotted Mara, of all people. Of course she was the only person in the hallway that he knew. He walked up to casually and leaned against the lockers beside her.

"Hey, Mars, how's it hanging?"

Mara looked up at him and smiled slightly. Alfie made her think of Jerome. It made her feel sad, and she didn't like feeling sad. It influenced her grades, her dedication, her appearance, and her attitude.

"That good, huh," he said knowingly, and followed her to their first class.

"Yeah, I'm just tired." She excused herself quietly and scurried off to a desk that was farthest from Jerome and Alfie's.

Alfie internally groaned. This was going to be harder than he thought. He didn't understand how Amber did it. How did she get people to talk to her? Explain their feelings and let her help, or not, depending on who it was. Mara would be difficult since they didn't hang out much and she was still kind of mad at him for interrupting her dates with Jerome. But his roommate would be easier, he wasn't an open book and Alfie couldn't read him like a sign, but he could definitely see his feelings at times. At the moment, he could tell Jerome was feeling nervous, even from the front of the classroom, more than twenty feet away from him.

"Alfie, are you ever going to sit down?" Miss Denby asked in annoyance, looking over at him from the whiteboard.

"Oh, right, sorry, Miss. My brain is just somewhere else today."

"I thought that was every day." Patricia muttered but Alfie was the only one that had heard her.

It hurt him but he ignored it the best he could. Patricia always made fun of him, but her insults seemed to be coming more often and harsher than usual. Alfie would bet his Sonic Screwdriver that she was missing picking on Eddie. She missed their playful banter. She missed him. And Alfie was sure that Eddie felt the same way. Would it be easier to work on Peddie first? After a thought, Alfie shook his head. No, Patricia wouldn't talk about her feelings for Eddie with him, and Eddie was way too clammed up. Alfie wasn't sure what he was supposed to do when he hit a dead end like this one.

It looked like he was going to have to call up the relationship expert herself.

* * *

Amber nodded as she listened to Alfie explain what had happened that day. "Okay, Jerome will be easy, Mara will be difficult, Patricia will be hard but not impossible, and Eddie will stay closed up. Well, first, I suggest focusing on only one couple. Second, go to one person at a time, but take your time, don't try to force information out of them. Let it happen on its own, because it will. You also need to build a friendship with the ones that don't talk about it. I never had to do that because Jara and Peddie both got together on its own, at that time I had been so focused on getting Fabina together. So which couple would you like to get back together first?"

"I'd like to help out Jerome. He's miserable." Alfie replied.

"Okay, what is the first step?" Amber asked. She had her blonde hair pulled back, in a fountain type bun on the back of her head. And her make-up was soft and subtle. She wore a pale pink sweater and her hands were clasped in front of her as she awaited his response. She looked very professional and it made Alfie happy to know that she was having a good time at fashion school.

"I think I should try to find the box of things that Mara gave Jerome."

"She gave him a box?"

"Yeah, apparently she gave him a bunch of things that he had given her over the holiday."

"Right, they spent most of it together. You're right, Alfie, get that box. If we can find it, and there's anything important in there, we can use those items to get them back together."

"That's exactly what I was thinking!" Alfie grinned.

"Well, great minds do think alike. Okay, I'm gonna go. But find that box, and when you do, contact me immediately."

"Will do; I promise you, I will get them back together." Alfie nodded.

"I know you will. Bye, Boo," Amber waved.

She disappeared from the screen and he sighed. Find a box that belongs to Jerome, talk to Jerome about his feelings, and work on the Sibuna mystery. His task list wasn't long, it only had three tasks, but that didn't mean it wasn't filled with difficult tasks that would take a lot of thinking to complete.

* * *

**So...what'd you think? This will remain Amfie, but with Jara, Peddie and Jabian! Review?**

**_Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. -2 Corinthians 4:16-18_**

**-Rachel**


	3. Everything Will Be Fine

**I'm updating a lot of things today...enjoy!**

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Jerome pulled at the ends of his hair, falling back on the bench in exhaustion. How could he have been so stupid? All the time that he'd taken to try and get Mara Jaffray to go out with him and he wasted it all in a moment. One split second, one mistake, it broke it all; he couldn't believe he had been such an idiot.

Mara was sitting on a blanket with her nose in a book, on the other side of campus. She was far away but Jerome could see her clearly and she looked beautiful. Her black hair was hanging down, framing her face perfectly. Her brown eyes flitted over the pages quickly as the book got more interesting by the second. Her legs were tucked under her in a very lady-like way. Every few seconds, she would reach up and tuck a loose strand of her glossy hair behind her ear so she could see her book better, but it would just fall back down and she'd tuck it back again.

Alfie watched silently as Jerome gazed at Mara with a loving, longing expression, and found this the perfect moment to try and find that box. He hopped up the steps to Anubis house and slipped in the doors, making sure not to make a sound. Victor didn't allow students in the house during lunch but he needed to get that box. And this was just like Sibuna, he would sneak in, snoop and if he didn't find it, he'd look somewhere else, if he did, he'd investigate as soon as he could.

He checked under Jerome's bed, and then under his desk, and then in his wardrobe, and then he searched his side of the room, just in case Jerome had known that he'd be going through his stuff, but he didn't find anything. Then, Alfie realized. Jerome wouldn't put it somewhere anyone could find it, only in a place that he went when he wanted to be alone, a place no one knew about. Well, except for Alfie, since he had followed him once and found out where he hid.

Alfie jogged through the house and headed out the back door. He looked around for a second, making sure Jerome wasn't on his way back, and then ran over to the edge of the woods. He climbed over a few fallen branches and pushed through the brush, spotting the small shed ahead of him. He pushed the door open and closed it behind him, clicking on the battery powered lamp in the corner. The room flooded with light, though he didn't really need it, the sun shone through the two small windows that were on the two side walls.

The room was filled with Jerome's things. Notebooks were in one corner, several boxes of unknown items in the other, and then a chair in the last corner. Next to the chair was a bookshelf, stuffed with books of all different sizes. And then, in the middle of the room, was a cardboard box. It was put there recently, Alfie could tell.

He sat down in front of it, pulled the top open, and began pulling things out of it. A notebook filled with random doodles, a stack of pictures of Jerome and Mara together, a stack of notes Jerome had written to Mara, a couple stuffed animals, and a CD of songs Jerome thought described her and their relationship.

Alfie grinned, he was sure these things would be perfect. After typing down a list of the items, taking some pictures of a few of the pictures, and noting some of the things Jerome had said in his notes, he put everything back, closed the box, and moved over to the bookshelf. He skimmed over the books quickly and then went through the boxes next to it.

"Oh…nice," he grinned. "This will definitely be helpful."

He closed the boxes and left the shed with determination. "Don't worry, buddy," he mumbled to himself though it was directed at Jerome. "Everything will be fine."

* * *

**Alright...review?**

**_Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. -1 Corinthians 13:12_**

**-Rachel**


	4. Leave It All To Me

**Really short chapter, I know, and I'm sorry! They'll get longer, I promise! Enjoy!**

* * *

Alfie sat down beside Jerome on the bench slowly. He had just finished a chatting session with Amber and they had come up with a plan, perfect for Jerome and Mara. Jerome didn't look up; he just stared down at his hands as he twiddled his thumbs. At least he wasn't watching Mara like some kind of crazy stalker anymore.

"I might just have a plan, devised by the Relationship Guru and myself, specifically for you and a certain bookworm. If you're interested, that is." Alfie murmured, looking around.

"Are you trying to act like a thug?" Jerome asked, turning to him. "Cause it's not working."

Alfie glared at him. "Do you want help with Mara or not?"

"Who said that? Maybe I don't want to get back together with Mara. Maybe I want to date someone else. Like, Joy, for example. She's cute; she's fun, you know, when she's not being a killjoy. And maybe her Fabian crush is a tad bit obsessive but—"

"Dude, are you kidding me?"

"Yeah, I know, what did you have in mind?" he looked at his best friend, almost desperately, like, he was silently begging him to help, and Jerome Clarke does not beg.

"Before I tell you, I just need you to know that you just need to show up, everything else: leave it all to me."

* * *

Patricia looked down, eyebrows furrowing. She was so annoyed. KT and Eddie were whispering to themselves in the corner. She hated it. She hated being jealous. She always told herself that she didn't do jealousy, but that was a lie. She got jealous. She got jealous very easily.

It was awkward just being in the same room as him, but now it was harder. Eddie acted like he liked KT and it made Patricia mad, and it also made people think that they were dating. But no one tried to find out, because if a new couple had started, they would have heard about it. Gossip and news traveled fast in that school.

"Hey," Joy smiled at her best friend, sitting down.

"Hi…" the goth muttered.

"They aren't dating, Patricia." Joy promised her, noticing her gaze flitting to the Americans in the corner. "It's like with Nina, Eddie just has a connection with her. It's nothing.

"Yeah, but, Joy—"

"You two broke up, remember?" Joy smirked knowingly, arching a dark eyebrow.

"I know that. It doesn't bother me. I'm fine. I might even get myself a new boyfriend."

"Trish, don't do that."

"I'll do whatever I want." Patricia stated, straightening her back and look forward, head held high.

Joy sighed slowly. That's just great. Now everything was going to be smooth sailing from here…not.

* * *

Alfie nodded to himself, satisfied with today's work. A few tweaks here and there and pointers from Amber on how to make it better, and it'll be finished. Jerome and Mara will get back together, he was sure of it. He had to get them back together. Jerome was heartbroken, and completely and utterly boring without something to make him happy. He won't even play a prank on someone with Alfie. It made Alfie sad. He wanted his best friend back. But that wasn't going to happen unless Jerome and Mara made up.

* * *

**Review? **

_**Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends. -Proverbs 17:9**_

**Love y'all! **

**-Rachel**


	5. I Don't Believe in Forever

**Hey! I got my old, purple computer back and now I'm writing again! Hurray!**

* * *

"Hey, Eddie, my man," Alfie grinned happily, jumping up next to his friend.

"Hey, Alfie, how's it going? You know KT right?" the American asked somewhat awkwardly, motioned to the girl. Her brown hair curly and pulled into a ponytail. She smiled at him.

"Yeah, we've met, dude; she's been here for like, a week. Hey, KT. I'm doing pretty good; I talked to Amber yesterday; I'm her successor. I'm trying to get Jerome and Mara back together."

"You're Amber's successor? As in, you're now the Relationship Guru? Dude…" he laughed, shaking his head.

"Hey, it's hard work; I didn't know she was under so much pressure as the Guru!"

"You know, I'm tempted to go hang out with Jerry, just to get a little manliness in my life." Eddie mumbled.

"Mate, you're hanging out with a girl all the time, at least I'm actually talking to my roommate." Alfie argued.

"I think it's cool Alfie's trying to help Jerome and Mara get back together. They make a cute couple."

"Thank you, KT." he grinned.

"I never disagreed with Jerry and Jaffray getting back together, I'm just saying that it's kinda weird that a _guy_ is being the relationship expert here. If anyone is a relationship expert around here, it's me."

"Dude, when you and Patricia first got together, you kissed her sister. And need I remind you, you two aren't even in a relationship anymore! You guys shouldn't have broken up. Why did you break up, anyway?"

"I don't know, alright? Ask her, she broke up with Me." he snapped, walking away from the two dark-skinned teens.

"Really…" Alfie said thoughtfully.

"I can see the wheels turning in your head." KT giggled.

"Wanna help me with something?" he asked excitedly.

"Does it have to do with getting Patricia and Eddie back together?" she questioned.

"Absolutely,"

"Then, I'm in!"

* * *

"Fabes, that's not the answer." Joy stated, erasing the answer he'd put down and writing something else.

"Joy, this is a test in a magazine that you're making me take. There is no wrong or right answer!" he laughed, replacing her answer with his original answer.

"No, listen, there is only one right answer for each question, and that isn't it. The right answer is flowers, not chocolates." she corrected.

"I don't see the difference."

"But girls do. And that answer is wrong in every girl's eyes."

"Fine, chocolates it is then. Now, what's the answer to the next question?" he asked, raising a dark eyebrow at his best friend.

"Oh, that's totally up to you." she assured, going back to her own magazine quiz.

He stared at her for a moment, before rolling his eyes and jotting down his next answer reluctantly.

Behind the stage curtain, stood Alfie Lewis, watching the two closely; they got along well, he observed. They had been best friends since he'd met them, and they could be themselves around each other. They always fit perfectly as best friends; a couple? Alfie had no idea. But he'd find out for Amber.

Honestly, Alfie had really liked Fabian and Nina together, but without Nina, he could see Joy and Fabian as a couple as well. He couldn't decide which was better though. The three of them were very good friends of his, and though he wouldn't want to get caught in the middle of their relationship issues, he had a promise to keep to Amber.

* * *

"Hey, Eddie, are you alright? You kinda exploded earlier." KT asked, plopping down next to him on the sofa in the lounge.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just…I—"

"Miss Patricia?" she suggested.

"Yeah, I mean, when she and I first met, I couldn't stand her, and then a week later, I couldn't stop thinking about her. We dated for just about a year, and then she dumps me. She was everything to me…she still is. I'll never stop loving her." He sighed, looking away from his fellow American. Spilling stuff like that was not really his thing, and he hated being sappy like that, but he couldn't help it. She made him spill his guts because he trusted her so much.

"Have you ever tried to tell her that?" she queried.

"I can't do that; I don't need to embarrass myself in front of her. Again." He stated.

"But, don't you want you two to be together forever?" she wondered, studying him with gentle eyes.

Eddie sat silently for a moment, and then a humorless smile slid onto his face. "I don't believe in forever." He declared. He stood up, stringing the strap of his bag over his shoulder, and stalked off.

* * *

**Now, Alfie has an assistant! This should be fun! :)**

**Review?**

_**Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. -Proverbs 1:7**_

**-Rachel**


	6. I Don't Believe in True Love

**I have no excuse as to why this chapter took so long except that I've been busy with other stories.**

* * *

"Did you know that Alfie is suddenly the Relationship Guru of the house?" Jerome laughed from his place on the stage. He ran a hand through his dirty-blonde hair and waited for Joy's answer.

They were the only two people that were seated in the room at that moment. The short brunette sat in one of the arm chairs, tapping the end of a purple pen against her knee.

"Relationship Guru?" She covered her mouth with her hand and muffled the burst of laughter that bubbled out of her.

"Yeah, I don't get it either. All I know is that he's tracking everyone in the house and putting them up to their perfect match with the help of Amber." He explained.

"Oh my, gosh, that's so funny." She giggled. "So, how is their relationship going; the whole long distance thing?"

"I guess it's fine since I haven't heard any complaining yet or been asked for advice."

"Alfie asks you for advice? How is he still living?" she shook her head in amazement.

"Hey, I can give pretty good advice when I want to. I'm very wise."

"Mhm…" she hummed disbelievingly.

"Alright, ask me for some advice. You don't have to take it, or it can be something unimportant or made up, but I'll give you advice on how to handle it." he challenged, suddenly seat next to her in the next arm chair.

"Alright," she sighed. "Hypothetically, I like this guy, but he doesn't like me. We're really good friends, and I wanna be more, but he doesn't. What should I do?"

"Get over him." He shrugged.

"What?"

"If he's not going to return your feelings, why pine for him? Do something with your life; be happy and proud that you're single."

"But…I've liked him for so long…"

Jerome smiled slightly; this hadn't been a hypothetical question. "He doesn't deserve you."

Joy swallowed. Maybe he was right. Maybe Fabian didn't deserve to be with her. He couldn't see how much she cared for him; why should she chase after someone that is still hung up on his ex-girlfriend?

"I guess, that's pretty good advice," she mumbled; she didn't want to admit that he was right.

"Are you kidding me? That was great advice!" he boasted.

"Whatever. But everyone else has a boyfriend. When do I get my chance?" she asked.

Jerome gazed at her, his blue eyes shimmering. "You'll get it. There's one perfect person for everyone in the world. And when you find that person…it's the greatest feeling."

"How will I know when I find my perfect person?"

"You'll know. But you won't by sitting around thinking about someone that has never felt the same feelings towards you. Just…be patient; you will get you love story soon. I promise."

Joy stared at him for a moment and then shook her head.

"What?" he wondered as she gathered her things.

She took a deep breath. "I just need to leave before I do something stupid."

And then he was alone in the quiet lounge.

* * *

Eddie blinked.

Patricia blinked.

They had run into each other in the hall on the way to class.

They stood awkwardly in front of each other; Patricia clutching the strap of her bag and Eddie tapping his fingers against the side of his satchel.

"Hey," Eddie spoke first with a tight smile.

"Hey," she replied.

"How've you been?"

"Fine," she answered shortly.

They were silent again as time ticked by slowly.

"How's KT?" Patricia asked before she could stop herself.

"She's fine, I guess." Eddie shrugged. "How Alfie?"

"I don't know, really, we haven't talked much lately."

"Oh, lover's spat, eh?"

"What?" she snapped.

The shrill bell echoed through the halls and Patricia huffed and stomped into the History classroom, Eddie following her; but then they separated, taking seats on either side of the classroom.

* * *

Alfie smiled proudly and slid his phone out of the back pocket of his red jeans. He searched Amber out of his list of contacts on _Face Time_ and then clicked the call button. A few moments later, Amber picked up and held her phone so Alfie could see her clearly. And his smile widened at the sight of the blonde beauty.

"I finished the setup of Mara and Jerome's get back together date." He announced.

"Oh, fantastic; let me see," she requested, and he immediately turned the phone so he could slowly scan the camera over the inside of the shed. The room's clutter had been removed. Now candles dotted the shelves and the floor and a colorful quilt lay on the floor in the middle of the shed. There was a cd player in the corner of the room, ready for the cd Jerome had once made for Mara; of all the songs he felt had described them.

"It looks perfect, Boo, now you just need Jerome and Mara." She squealed.

"I'll get to work on that tomorrow." He promised.

"Excellent," she cooed. And then she smiled shyly. "I miss you."

"I miss you too, baby." He replied softly.

"Don't worry' I'm sure we'll see each other in person soon." She said happily, but there was an undertone that told Alfie she doubted it as well.

"Of course, I'll call you tomorrow, and we'll try to work out a time when we can meet up, yeah?"

"Definitely." She nodded eagerly.

* * *

**Alright...review?**

**The next chapter will come sooner; I promise!**

_**Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. -Ephesians 3:17-19**_

_****_**-Rachel**


	7. I'm Alone

**Hey!**

* * *

"Alfie, have you said anything stupid to Eddie?"

"Um, I don't think so…" he said slowly, watching Patricia warily. He stopped in his tracks and sat across from her at the dining room table, his Gameboy forgotten.

"He thinks something's going on between you and me." she scoffed. "How stupid is that? Everyone knows you and Amber are still together; and everyone knows that you and I being together is absolutely impossible—"

"Well, not that impossible. It's possible for two people of complete opposites to like each other." He mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

She continued, "And another thing, why is he acting like it's going to hurt my feelings if he and KT are dating? It would make sense; they're both American and she has a leather jacket—"

"So?"

"Wait, why am I telling any of this to you?" she stopped, an expression of disgust on her face.

"Don't do that with your face; it'll freeze like that, you know."

"Alfie,"

"Maybe I'm just easy to talk to? I am the Relationship Guru, after all; maybe you just want some advice or help with your relationship with Eddie?"

"Um, no…could you just leave me alone?" she grunted, stomping out of the room.

Alfie huffed, running a hand over his head. Why was she so stubborn? There must be a reason.

* * *

"Hey, Mara," Joy smiled, running up to her friend. She linked arms with her and they walked down the path.

"Hey," Mara smiled slightly.

"Are you okay? You've been really distant lately. Don't tell me what Jerome did upset you that much."

"No, it's just the fact that he hasn't tried to get me back yet." She sighed, trusting Joy with her feelings completely.

"Well, you've been acting pretty unapproachable lately; maybe you should be a little more sociable and open to everyone."

"No, Jerome would have come after me; no matter what. If he really cared about me like I thought he did, that is. You know, maybe I was being stupid. Maybe Jerome never cared about me as much as I thought; maybe he just wanted someone. Maybe he never really wanted me."

"Mara, you know that can't be true—"

"No, it's alright," she whispered. "Anyway, how's your love life, huh?"

Joy sighed, knowing to attempt to continue the conversation would be fruitless, and she answered her question. "Ugh, Fabian just doesn't care. Maybe I'm the one being stupid. Maybe I shouldn't be chasing someone that's already given his heart to someone else."

"Oh, Joy, I'm sorry, but maybe Fabian wasn't the one for you. Go out; look for someone else; just jump right into the dating game, and forget all about Fabian."

Joy stayed quiet for a moment. Should she take Jerome's advice or her best friend's? Both pieces of advice were completely different, and Joy felt like neither could be right; or maybe they were a little right. She shouldn't be chasing someone that didn't want her that way, but she did know that Fabian deserved her; she didn't deserve him. And she shouldn't just jump into dating, but at the same time, she didn't want to sit around and wait for that perfect guy to come out of the shadows.

"You know, you'd be perfect for Jerome."

Joy's head snapped up and she stared at Mara in shock. "Mara, I'd never date Jerome—you know that! He's your ex-boyfriend, and no offence, but he's Jerome!"

"But I think you two could work out."

"No. Mara, there is no way. Plus, he's your soul mate. You two belong together."

"Jerome doesn't seem to think that; maybe he would like you more than he liked me."

Hurt flashed in her brown orbs, showing Joy that she was just trying to be a good friend and set her up, but she didn't want anyone else to have him. She still cared about him; maybe even loved him, but she wanted him to cave first and ask her to come back to him; she wanted him to confess his love. She wanted _him_ to want _her _first and prove that _he _wanted _her _even now.

"Mara—"

"It's okay, Joy, I think you two would be a very cute couple. And remember when you first came to school? You said you liked him, before you even noticed Fabian; and you had a crush on him for a few months. Who knows, maybe those feelings will appear again, or maybe they never went away. When Jerome and I were together, he kept trying to impress me, like I could never see his worth. I didn't notice his worth for a few years, but you saw it almost immediately. He won't need to try to impress you." She shrugged as if it was nothing, but it was something. It was hurting her, just imagining her best friend and her ex-boyfriend in a relationship, but she was Mara Jaffray. She was the nice one. The one that wanted everyone to be happy, even if she wasn't; that's why her name was Mara—she could be bitter, but no one else was allowed to.

* * *

"Seriously, man, what do you think is going on between them?"

"Nothing's going on, Eddie. Everyone knows that Amber and Alfie are still an item; since when is Alfie a cheater?"

"Well, you never know, do ya?" the American shrugged.

"Eddie, don't start accusing Alfie of something you know he'd never do. Maybe you're just jealous that they've been spending more time together than you and Patricia did— do." He corrected himself before continuing, "And besides, Alfie and Patricia used to hang out all the time before you and Nina came out. Alfie, Patricia and Jerome were like the Three Musketeers—"

"Then where's Jerry?"

Fabian shrugged.

"Have you guys seen Jerome?" Joy asked, walking into the room as Patricia stood up on the other side of the room and stomped out.

"No," Fabian shook his head. He looked up at her with a small frown. "Why – why do you wanna talk to Jerome?"

"I need to ask him something," she replied quickly and walked off to talk to Alfie.

"What is she gonna ask him?" Fabian asked Eddie.

"I don't know. Why did Patricia run out of the room? Do you think they broke up? Alfie looks a little upset."

Fabian watched Eddie for a moment before he just gave up. "Yeah, maybe they broke up."

* * *

**Bear with me, babies...**

**"I am a Jewish man, who enjoys to rock and roll!" -?**

**The first person that can tell me who said that gets a shoutout in the next chapter! :)**

_**A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. -Proverbs 17:17**_

**-Rachel**


	8. But Life Goes On

**Enjoy...**

* * *

Benji Reed turned out of Mr. Sweet's office and began searching for his locker. He noticed that the one he was looking for was at the end of the hall, behind a red-head talking to a dark-skinned boy. He smiled at them.

"Hey, could I get to my locker, please?"

"Oh, yeah, sorry, mate." Alfie grinned. "Are you new?"

"Yeah, I'm Ben,"

"Alfie," he replied, shaking Ben's outstretched hand. "And this is Patricia."

His brown eyes lit up at learning her name. "A beautiful name for a beautiful girl," He complimented, running a hand through his shaggy dirty-blonde hair.

She couldn't stop the blush that spread over her pale cheeks.

"Patricia, come on, let's go work on that project." Alfie cut in.

"No, I'm welcoming the new student. Why don't you go be the relationship guy to someone besides me." she snapped before turning to look back at Ben with a sweet smile.

"It's Relationship Guru—"

"Fine, be the Relationship Guru to the Slimeball. He's still moping about Mara, you know." She rolled her green eyes as she and Ben walked off down the hall, chatting about classes and where he should sit.

* * *

"Hey, Jerome," Joy murmured, sitting down next to him in Chemistry.

"Hey," he nodded, looking around the room, wondering why she was sitting with him.

"Can I ask you a question?"

Jerome smirked, "Oh, so you need advice, do you?"

"Sort of, I want you to answer a question, truthfully."

"Hit me."

"Could you ever be my perfect person, or me yours," she asked, a light blush tinting her cheeks.

Jerome swallowed. "Um—"

"Answer me truthfully." She reminded him.

He watched her and licked his thin lips. This girl was the one he had hated for so long, and had hated herself for so long. He didn't want to say that would hurt her feelings. He wanted to say the right thing, but he didn't know what the right thing was. "No. I'm sorry, but…Mara has always been my perfect person, and I could never be yours. Like I said before, yours is out there, you just have to be patient." He replied, bracing himself for any sort of bad emotion that could fill her brown orbs.

"Oh, thank God…" she breathed, pushing her hair over her shoulder. She smiled happily at him and he stared at her warily.

"Um…"

"Mara was trying to convince me that you and I would be perfect together. She wanted me to ask you out because she thinks that you don't love her."

"Who said I don't love her?"

"She just thinks that because you haven't made an attempt to get her back. She thinks you don't care. And because I'm having my Fabian problems, she thinks you and I should be together. But she doesn't care if she's upset about anything; she just wants us to be happy because she probably loves you."

"No, I'm gonna get her back; Alfie's setting up some crazy date since he's the Guru. It'll happen soon, I swear. There is no way I'm not gonna try to get her back." He defended himself.

"Good, so you will get her back. Now, I just need to find my perfect person."

"I told you, just wait. He could walk through that door, and you wouldn't even know it because you're too focused on fighting the perfect, perfect person; someone that has no flaws. See, if you really love someone, you can look over all their flaws, and if you really, really love someone, the person you love has no flaws in your eyes."

Joy nodded and turned to the doorway. Jerome rolled his blue eyes; why couldn't she be happy single?

* * *

Ben walked into the class room, casting a smile back at Patricia. "Don't tell me you actually dated that bloke. He sounds like a complete jerk."

"Well, he kinda is. I don't know what I ever saw in the guy." She sighed, leading him to the desk in the back, away from where KT was sitting; she suspected that Eddie would be sitting there, so she wanted to sit as far away as possible.

"Well, I can assure you I am not a jerk. And I'm looking forward to our date this evening." He smiled charmingly, waiting for her to sit down at the table before he did.

"So am I,"

* * *

"Joy," Eddie hissed, popping up next to her.

She looked up from her textbook and Jerome followed her gaze. "Hey, Eddie—"

"Yeah, hi, what's going on with Patricia and the new guy?" he asked, hazel eyes trained on the pair, who were laughing and pointing at each of the flasks and test tubes that cluttered their desk, whispering things to each other.

Jerome groaned in annoyance, resting his forehead on the table. Joy patted his arm with a giggle.

"I don't know, Eddie, I just noticed him—them." She corrected herself.

"Wait, you like him?" he asked hurriedly.

"Well, I don't really know him. He's cute, but—"

"Could you get close to him, date him, or whatever, and get him away from Patricia?"

"Oh my, god, Sweetie, would you just let it go? Leave Trixie alone; if she wants to date the new kid, let her. You don't control her, and she's not your girlfriend anymore. Unless, oh, you want her to be your girlfriend again…?" he mumbled, eyes sparking with mischief.

"Shut up, Jerry; she broke up with me." Eddie snapped and stalked off to his table.

"So, someone thinks the newbie is 'cute', huh?" Jerome chuckled, poking her side.

"Shut up," she mumbled, rolling her eyes.

* * *

**Review? **

_**At least there is hope for a tree: If it is cut down, it will sprout again, and its new shoots will not fail. Its roots may grow old in the ground and its stump die in the soil, yet at the scent of water it will bud and put forth shoots like a plant. -Job 14:7-9**_

**"Real people do what they want, not what they can. Make it happen and live as you should." -?**

**The first person that can tell me who said that gets a shoutout in the next chapter! :)**

**-Rachel**


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